Disease Transmitted Through Milk. 235 



diphtheria, scarlet fever, septic throat infections, and other infec- 

 tious diseases in so far as they are carried by milk. 



Septic Sore Throat. 



Septic sore throat deserves special mention because of the 

 frequency in recent years with which outbreaks of this disease 

 have been traced to milk supplies. The suggestion has been made 

 that the infection of the milk is due to udder infection of the cow 

 and on the other hand it has been suggested that it is due to con- 

 tact with infected persons. The uncertainty can not be dispelled 

 until cases of septic sore throat are regularly reported and tabu- 

 lated by public health authorities. The commission therefore rec- 

 ommends that public health authorities make septic sore throat 

 a reportable disease. 



Economic Problem. 



The commission recognizes the magnitude of the milk industry, 

 and that the improvement of milk supplies is primarily an eco- 

 nomic problem. The success achieved by the experiment in milk 

 production, which has been carried out on a very large scale by 

 the New York Dairy Demonstration Co., is an illustration of the 

 fact that an extra price or premium paid to the producer for 

 cleanliness and care will bring results far more quickly and 

 certainly than instructions or official inspection. But while the 

 basic problem is economic, and must eventually be solved by com- 

 merce, public health authorities must show the way and must estab- 

 lish standards and regulations in the interest of consumers, the 

 value of which even the consumers themselves often fail to ap- 

 preciate. 



Legal Requirements. 



A prime requisite of effectiveness is that local milk laws shall 

 not exceed sanitary limitations. The commission has not entered 

 into a discussion of fundamental state laws, but it recommends 

 that state laws be amended wherever necessary in order that every 

 municipality may have the legal right to adopt whatever ordinances 

 it sees fit for the improvement of the milk supply. The commission 

 advocates that local health laws be carefully drawn with regard 

 to their legality under the general laws of the localities to which 

 they apply, since a decision against a milk law in one locality is 

 liable to be used as a precedent against milk laws elsewhere. 



Standard Rules and Regulations. 



The commission has drawn up a set of standard rules and 

 regulations for the control of milk. These are the result of a study 

 of the printed rules and regulations of the cities of the United 

 States and of foreign countries and represent an immense amount 



